In vivo terahertz imaging to evaluate scar treatment strategies: silicone gel sheeting

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Abstract
Silicone gel sheeting (SGS) is widely used for scar treatment; however, studies showing its interaction with skin and efficacy of scar treatment are still lacking. THz light is non-ionizing and highly sensitive to changes in water content and thus skin hydration. In this work, we use in-vivo THz imaging to monitor how SGS affects the THz response of human skin during occlusion, and the associated THz reflectivity and refractive index changes are presented. We find that SGS effectively hydrates the skin beneath it, with minimal lateral effects beyond the sheeting. Our work demonstrates that THz imaging is able to detect the subtle hydration changes on the surface of human skin caused by SGS, and it has the potential to be used to evaluate different scar treatment strategies.
Funding Information
  • Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Award
  • Hong Kong Research Grants Council (14205514, 14206717)
  • Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) (ITS/371/16)
  • Royal Society (Wolfson Merit Award)

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